


Hiding it from her

by hermionemonica



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: And by that I mean there's no cheating but that's what she thought, F/M, Implied Cheating, adrienette - Freeform, lukagami, post reveal post relationship, they are not engaged yet but living together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-13
Updated: 2020-09-23
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:48:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,361
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26442976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hermionemonica/pseuds/hermionemonica
Summary: She really, really loved Luka, more than she had ever loved anything or anyone. He had given her everything that she did not even know she was missing. He had been her second chance at love. He had been her right choice. As Kagami pressed closer to his body, she found herself hoping with all her heart that everything was just a figment of her imagination. Her Luka would never do something like that to her.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Luka Couffaine/Kagami Tsurugi
Comments: 18
Kudos: 83





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, and welcome to my first Lukagami fic! I started writing this to de-stress when I was having my finals back in March, and it has been sitting in my WIPs ever since. So I decided to finally clean it up and post it! Hope you all enjoy :)

Kagami shifted uneasily under the covers. She had always been a light sleeper, and it was no surprise that the ringing of Luka's phone had woken her up. Not that Luka noticed. But her sharp eyes had caught a glimpse of the phone screen before Luka grabbed it and walked out into the drawing-room. 

Marinette. 

Kagami checked the time on her phone. It was 12:10 am. Marinette was a late sleeper, so it was no surprise that she was up at that hour. But that did not justify her calling Luka in the middle of the night! _What was so urgent that could not wait until the morning? And why was it so important that Luka got out of the bed without any hesitation as soon as he saw who was calling? And what was so secret that he had to walk away from his girlfriend to talk?_

She could faintly hear Luka's voice, but not enough to make out what he was saying. Kagami let out a deep breath. She had always trusted her boyfriend, he had never given her any cause for the otherwise. And Marinette was one of her first friends, and there was a reason she was still one of the closest people in her life. But things were now getting a little too much for her to bear. This wasn't even the first time something like this had happened; in fact, Kagami had been noticing a lot of things over the past few weeks. Marinette and Luka had been talking a lot lately. Luka had been receiving a lot of calls from her, and he visited her way too often. More than once Kagami had pretended not to notice. After all, they were all friends; there was nothing wrong with a bit of conversation, right? But it was all slowly driving her insane. Was she overthinking this? Or should she do something about it? 

Her train of thoughts broke when she heard Luka's footsteps approaching the bed from behind her. Kagami closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep. She felt Luka get under the covers. He shifted closer to her and wrapped his arms around her. For a moment, Kagami wanted to push him away from her. But the warmth of his body felt so inviting, and when he planted a kiss on her bare shoulder, she couldn't help but melt in his arms. She really, really loved Luka, more than she had ever loved anything or anyone. He had given her everything that she did not even know she was missing. He had been her second chance at love. He had been her right choice. As Kagami pressed closer to his body, she found herself hoping with all her heart that everything was just a figment of her imagination. Her Luka would never do something like that to her. 

When Kagami woke up the next morning, Luka was still asleep. That was nothing unusual, she was up early most days because of her gym routine. And Luka didn't usually have to wake up early because most of his jigs and concerts were at night (unless he was on tour). She carefully turned around to look into Luka's sleeping face. 

This man had loved and supported her through every phase of her life. How could she even imagine he would ever hurt her? She placed her hand on the side of his face and ran her thumb along his cheek; it had always been easier for her to show affection when he was asleep. 

After a few moments, she got up from the bed. She could not miss out on her routine. Munching on an apple, she grabbed her gym bag and walked out of their apartment. 

She got home a little earlier that day as one of the machines at the gym was out of order. When she saw the door of their apartment locked, she was obviously surprised because she had expected Luka to be home. A million thoughts running through her mind, she let herself in with the spare key under the doormat. The apartment was empty. Luka was already out, and by the looks of the kitchen, he hadn't even had breakfast. A tiny little voice spoke up in her head. She hurriedly changed and was soon on her way to Marinette and Adrien's apartment. 

She waited with anticipation after ringing the bell. Despite herself, she found herself straining her ears to catch any suspicious sound from inside. But she got nothing. 

It didn't take Marinette long to open the door. “Kagami?” she said with surprise, her voice a little louder than normal. 

“Hi,” Kagami shook her hand. A hurried shuffling of furniture came from inside the apartment. 

“My melody, is that you?” She heard Luka's voice as he approached around the corner. 

“Yeah, when I saw you weren't at home, I guessed you would be here,” she responded. “I hope I am not interrupting anything?” 

“Of course not, come on in!” Marinette pulled her along by the hand, making her gasp. As they passed by Luka, Kagami locked eyes with him. It was just for a fraction of a second, but that's all it took for her to realise that Luka was nervous. She had been with him long enough to know that much. 

“Eat?” Marinette squealed as the entered the kitchen. Her jumpy attitude suggested that she was nervous as well. As she hurried over to the counter, she spoke in the strange high-pitched voice, “I am so glad I made enough pancakes for three!” 

“We're having pancakes?” Kagami asked, surprised. 

“Well yeah,” Marinette was already serving. “I didn't realise Luka would be here so early, otherwise I would have made a better breakfast.” 

“I didn’t know you guys had made plans?” Kagami directed the question at her boyfriend, as she took a seat beside her. 

“Oh, we decided late last night,” Luka replied, “You were asleep then, and I didn’t get an opportunity to talk to you this morning.” 

Of course, thought Kagami. “You could have called me too, Marinette,” Kagami tried her best to make her smile look genuine, “You know I would love to have breakfast with my friends! Speaking of friends though,” she looked around, “where's Adrien?” 

“Oh, you just missed him by a few minutes,” Marinette replied. “He had an interview at 9, so he had to leave early.” 

_Isn't that a little too convenient?_ The thought crept into her mind without warning. 

“Hey Marinette,” Kagami spoke up, “can you pack my pancakes, please? I-uh, I just got a text from my mother. I have to take her to the doctor.” 

“Is everything alright?” Luka touched her hand. “I can drive you, if you want?” 

“No,” she rose to her feet, pulling her hand away from Luka's, “It’s just a check-up, and I will be fine by myself.” She took the box that Marinette handed her, shot Luka a quick look and ran out of the apartment. 

Once in the elevator, she slouched against the wall. She had never been a credible liar. But she needed to get away, she needed to be alone to think about everything. And that excuse was the best she could have come up with. 

Kagami had no idea where to go. She did not feel like going home just yet. So, she drove to the Trocadero Gardens, hoping to get some fresh air. Just as she was about to get out of the car, her eyes fell on the box of pancakes she had shoved into the passenger seat. After a moment's hesitation, she grabbed the box and shut the door of the car. She decided to stay inside the car for a change. 

As she opened the box, she smiled to herself. Marinette had remembered that she liked her pancakes with cream instead of honey. Marinette had always been such a caring person, she would never even think of hurting someone. _Then why was she doing this?_

If what she was thinking was right, then Marinette was not only belittling Kagami's emotions, but also she was cheating on Adrien. Her best friend, Adrien, pure as a ray of sunshine, who loved his girlfriend so much. If a girl had someone who loved her that much, then why would she even think about someone else? 

But she had no definite proof either way, did she? There were hints all over the place, and everything fell into place probably a bit too naturally, but even then, there was a chance that this was all a massive misunderstanding on her part, right? There was no way to be certain, and that was what was gnawing at her mind. 

“Babe?” 

Kagami snapped her head to the side, only to find Luka crouching outside her window, looking at her. 

“Open up,” he said. 

She opened the door and slid over to let him in. “You're here?” he asked the most obvious question. 

It took Kagami a while to gather her senses. “Y-yeah, mother texted again to say that she had accidentally mistaken the date.” 

“Kagami, is everything okay?” Luka’s gaze bore into her eyes, and she quickly looked away for fear that he might read her doubts. 

“Of course, why?” 

“I don't know, but I feel something is wrong. I don't like the song your heart is playing.” 

Kagami exhaled deeply, trying hard to reign in the tears that kept forcing their way out. “I think it's the stress,” she whispered in a shaky voice. It wasn't entirely a lie. 

Luka took hold of her hand and squeezed it reassuringly. “Let's go home. I'll drive.” 

The entire drive was silent. Kagami sat curled up on herself, looking outside the window, lost in her thoughts. She felt terribly lonely, even when the love of her life was sitting right next to her. She did not want to think anymore about what was true and what was false. She wanted to believe in Luka. _Just give me one reason, my love, _t_ o put my conflicted heart at rest. Tell me once, and I will trust you. _

Kagami did not say a word when Luka pulled up into the parking space. She silently walked out when he held the door open for her, pointedly avoiding his eyes. The uncomfortable silence weighed down between them in the elevator, and as they walked along the corridor to their apartment. It was almost like there was an invisible barrier separating them. 

Luka hesitated for a moment after he opened the door. And then, without warning, he lifted Kagami in his arms, bridal style. Kagami gasped, her eyes widened into two giant orbs. Luka cocked his head to the side, and smiled to himself as he stepped in and carefully shut the door behind him with his foot. And then he slightly turned his head to look into the face of the girl he was carrying in his arms. 

Kagami felt a strange feeling of excitement and adoration bubbling in the pit of her stomach. She was drawn towards the magnetic blue of Luka's eyes, unable to look away. Never once did they break eye contact as Luka walked from the door to the couch. Then he put Kagami down on the couch, very gently, and kissed the top of her head. “Don't move, okay?” he whispered before running into his room. 

Kagami was stunned into bewilderment for some time before her ability to think finally returned to her. She lifted her legs and folded them under herself, as she nervously fidgeted with the hem of her t-shirt. 

Luka returned in a few seconds, holding his guitar in his hand. “Relax, my melody,” he said as he sat down on the armrest, one leg folded up to support his guitar on, and the other one dangling from the edge. 

And then he began strumming his guitar. 

Luka really knew how to calm Kagami down. The song he was playing was her favourite one. She closed her eyes and leaned against the back of the couch. Very soon, she was humming along with the music. 

After a while she opened her eyes, only to find Luka looking with softness and warmth in his eyes. The intensity in that look snapped something inside of her. All the pain, all the insecurity that she had been shoving underneath the anger came up to the surface. The look on Luka's face made her feel weak and desperate. She lunged forward and crashed her lips on his. 

Luka leaned backwards under the impact, but he braced himself before falling over. He was obviously taken aback by Kagami's action, she didn't usually initiate any affectionate behaviour on her own. And this kiss was different in itself. It was stronger, deeper. Kagami's lips desperately sought the touch of his lips as she pressed in closer to him. The way her hands moved over his neck and shoulders, it was almost as though she was clutching onto him to save herself. But from what? What was going on? 

Luka tried to comfort her in the way he could, by returning the kiss with equal, if not more fervour. Moving the guitar from between them, he wrapped both his hands around her. He pulled her closer, so that there was no space between their bodies. As her lips danced on his, he could taste the salty tears that flowed incessantly from her eyes. 

It was Kagami who broke the kiss. And as soon as her mouth broke away from his, a soft whimper escaped from her lips. She buried her face in Luka's chest, almost as though she was trying to hide from him. Clutching onto his shirt, she broke down into a cascade of violent sobs. 

Although he could not understand the cause of her distress, he tried to soothe her as best as he could. He ran comforting circles on her back as he held on to the shaking mess that Kagami was. He had never seen her so broken, so weak as she looked in that moment. 

Once her sobs had quietened enough, he whispered, not loosening his hold on her even a little, “Please tell me what's wrong, dear.” 

When he got no reply for a few seconds, he guessed that she was not ready to speak yet. But then he heard a raspy whisper, “I am hopelessly in love with you, Luka.” Her voice was coarsened by crying, “Please, please don't break my heart.” 

“Kagami,” Luka leaned back slightly. Cupping her face in both of his hands, he made her look up. Her tear-stained face was a heart-rending sight to look at. And even then, Kagami refused to look at him. 

“My love,” Luka went on, “You are the woman of my dreams. You are the one who completes my heart song. Why would I ever think of breaking your heart?” 

Kagami's furrowed eyebrows screamed indecision. It was as if she was fighting an internal conflict. 

Luka brushed her bangs away from her forehead and gently planted a kiss there. And then he kissed both of her cheeks in turn. Finally, she turned her face to look at him. 

“Do you love me?” She asked in a little voice, almost as of she was afraid to hear the answer. 

Luka brought his face closer to hers. “I love you more than I ever imagined loving anyone. I always have and I always will.” 

In reply, Kagami wrapped her arms around his torso and leaned into his chest. Luka embraced her with one arm, running the other hand through her hair. 

Kagami let out a breath that she had been holding for too long. And she smiled. For the first time in weeks, she finally felt like smiling. 

After what seemed like an eternity, they slowly let go of each other. Luka took her hand in his and reverently kissed the back of her knuckles. 

“Now, my Queen, I am going to prepare lunch for you today. And if you want to have some delicious miso mackerel, go and take a bath first.” 

Kagami pouted, which earned her a kiss on the bridge of her nose. “Go on now,” Luka scolded. 

Luka got off the couch and made his way to the kitchen. “Take some time in there,” he called out behind him, “so that I can join you after I'm done cooking.” 

Kagami giggled softly. Her heart felt so light right now. She hugged both arms around herself and smiled to herself. She felt happy, truly completely happy. She got off the couch and stretched her arms, and then with a hop in her step, walked towards the bathroom. 

It was just then that a movement from the coffee table made her turn back. It was Luka's phone, the screen lit up with a notification. Despite herself, she picked it up to look at it. It was a message from Marinette. “Come to my boutique in the evening.” 

_There was nothing suspicious about that, right? Marinette was the one who designed and made Luka's stage outfits, so this could probably be about that. Yes, that’s what it had to be-_

But just then, the phone vibrated in her hand as another message popped in. “Do not tell Kagami.” 


	2. Chapter 2

Her hands shook, as she gripped the arm of the couch for support. _Could this be any more direct?_ Her boyfriend and her best friend were involved in some really shady thing, and it was not difficult to guess what it could be, right? All this time, her suspicions had been correct. 

But if anything, Kagami was not someone to bury her pain. She was being cheated on by the people she loved most. There was no way she was not going to take a stand. 

She stormed into the kitchen. Luka had his back turned to her, so it took him by surprise when Kagami yelled, “What are you hiding from me?” 

He was stunned into silence for a second before his lips curved into a confused smile, “What are you talking abou-" 

Kagami shoved the phone into his face without letting him finish his sentence. There was no way anyone could miss how his expression changed into one of fear and nervousness in a flash. “Look, Kagami, I can explain-" 

“I am going to my mother's place.” With that, she turned on her heel. 

Luka grabbed her hand from behind. “Kagami, please don't-" 

She snatched her hand free from his hold. “You know what? Come and get me when you feel like you can tell me everything.” 

And then she walked straight out of the apartment, not looking back once at the bewildered and horrified man she left standing behind her. 

Kagami did not tell her mother the truth why she suddenly dropped in for a visit, that too without any luggage. Her mother had never really liked Luka, and had warned her against pursuing a relationship with him. To admit to her mother that Luka had wronged her was almost equal to accepting defeat. And Kagami Tsurugi was never one to accept defeat. 

But that didn’t mean Tomoe did not understand something was wrong. She may have been deprived of the ability to see, but she was not blind to her daughter's feelings. She could sense something was wrong. But she also knew that her headstrong daughter could not be persuaded to open up unless she herself decided to. So she did not pry. 

Kagami went up to her old room and sat at her window. As thoughts crowded her mind, she could not stop the tears running down her face. _Why did Luka do this to her? Was she not good enough for him anymore? Was her love not enough for him?_ She clenched her fist and hit a punch onto the wall. Her knuckles smarted from the pain, but she did not flinch. _Why was she always second best?_ If Luka really felt his old feelings for Marinette coming back, he could have talked to her. Neither of them had never really been exceptionally good at conversation, but this was important! This was about their relationship! If Luka wanted to go, Kagami would probably have let him, and that too with dignity. But the way he played her was not justifiable at all. 

The breeze blew in through the open window and dried the tears on her cheeks. The words Luka had said to him on the couch came to her. _“I love you more than I ever imagined loving anyone. I always have and I always will.”_

A bitter laugh left her lips. “Lies,” she muttered. 

But he had seemed so true in that moment. The look in his eyes had felt so genuine. Not for once had she even thought of doubting the words that came from his lips. 

_Was there even a slight possibility that she had made a mistake? That she had misunderstood him? He had said he loved her. And she, she really loved him too-_

Kagami shook her head. No. This was not the time to fall weak. That text from Marinette should have been enough to remove any and all doubts. 

But what was she to do now? Who was she to trust? The two people closest to her had trampled over her heart in the worst way imaginable. _How could she ever get over that?_

On the table, her phone kept constantly buzzing. But she was least interested. It was probably Luka, coming up with some lame excuses. She could not bear to look at his face anyway. She did not want to hear his voice nor read his texts. She did not want to see his contact name on her phone screen. She did not want to fall into his words again. She needed to be away from him for a while. She needed time. 

The day grew into evening. Kagami stirred awake, only to realise that she had fallen asleep on the seat by the window. Her eyes felt extremely puffy and swollen, it hurt to open them. Probably from all the crying. It had been a pretty eventful day, after all. But now, she felt all the negative emotions fading away. All she felt was exhaustion. Her body was so tired. She just wanted to sleep. In her trance, she thought she heard a tune being played on a stringed instrument. The tune of her favourite lullaby. It was so relaxing. Kagami’s lips curved into a small smile. Leaning against the wall, she drifted back to sleep. 

The next time she woke up, it was dark. The house was silent. She felt around herself and realised she was lying on her bed. She clearly remembered that she had fallen asleep against the window sill. 

Running her hand through her hair she tried to remember how she came all the way from the window to her bed. She could vaguely recall being carried in someone's arms. Her hand moved by itself and went to her left temple; she thought she remembered a gentle touch there, like a kiss. And the more she tried to remember, she could only picture a hazy teal colour. 

A tiny voice in her mind whispered to her. _Viperion_ _._

Her lips twisted into a painful smile. As if he cared. It was just her mind playing games on her. It must have been her mother. Or maybe she had walked by herself, but forgot because she was half asleep. 

But now she was wide awake. And she was hungry. _What time was it?_ She reached out beside her pillow by instinct, but then she realised her phone was not there. It was probably still lying on the table. She got out from under the covers and walked to the table. Just before taking hold of the phone, she hesitated. _Was she ready to look at all the notifications from Luka?_

Kagami took a deep breath. She had to do it, if not now, then sometime soon. How long could she hide? She was a strong woman, she could handle it. With shaking hands, she picked up the phone. 

As expected, her phone was flooded with notifications. Most of them were from Luka- texts, missed calls, even messages from the social media they were connected on. There were a few missed calls and texts from Marinette as well. Of course, she was probably the first one Luka had gone to after Kagami left. She did not even bother to open them. Scrolling through the bunch of notifications, she stopped at one. 

_4 new text messages from Adrien Agreste._

Adrien. Her other friend was also in the same situation as her. He was also being cheated on by his partner. Kagami had to talk to him, they both needed each other right now. 

She opened the texts. 

**Adrien:** Where are you? _[11:43]_

**Adrien:** Pick up your phone!! _[11:47]_

**Adrien:** Why aren't you replying to anyone? Are you alright? _[12:08]_

**Adrien:** Okay, you are at your mom's. Get back at me when you see this. _[17:56]_

There were also 12 missed calls from Adrien. Kagami could not help but wonder who it was that told Adrien that Kagami had left home because she had caught her boyfriend cheating on her with her best friend, who also happened to be Adrien's girlfriend. How much did Adrien know? 

It was 11:45 pm. Kagami decided to text Adrien, in the off chance that he was still up. 

**Kagami:** Hey. 

**Kagami:** Are you awake? 

Within seconds her phone buzzed with a reply. 

**Adrien:** Hey! 

**Adrien:** Thank God! 

**Adrien:** I thought you lost your phone. 

**Adrien:** Or that you threw it away. 

Was it just her who thought that Adrien's behaviour was a little uncanny? He sounded unnaturally cheerful. Did he really not know anything about what was going on? Or was he doing the thing where he was pretending to be happy while dying inside? Some things were difficult to judge over text. 

**Kagami:** Adrien, I'm going to be direct about this. 

**Kagami:** Do you know? 

**Adrien:** If what you are referring to is what I think you are referring to... 

**Adrien:** Then yes. I have known all along. 

_What?_

_Adrien had known all along?_

_Was there anyone in this entire world who she could trust anymore?_

**Adrien:** It took all of me to hide it from you. But Luka requested me to not tell you. 

**Adrien:** Please don't be mad at me, Gami. 

Kagami was beyond mad right now. In fact, she had no idea what she was supposed to feel. 

Adrien either had to be too stupid or too forgiving. How could he be so casual about it? He had known about it, but he had apparently not done anything to put a stop to it. Worse, he hadn't even told Kagami, because Luka had told him not to? 

_What the hell was going on?_ It was all terribly confusing to her. Was everyone else crazy or was she over-reacting? Or was she just caught in between a crazy conspiracy of which she was understanding absolutely nothing? 

As she stood there pondering the bits of information she had, her phone buzzed again in her hand. 

**Adrien:** Are you there? 

**Kagami:** Yes. 

**Adrien:** You don't know the whole thing, do you? 

_Did she? Probably not._

**Kagami:** No. 

**Adrien:** Oh. Okay. 

A few minutes elapsed before the next message from Adrien came in. 

**Adrien:** Can you meet me tomorrow? 7 pm? There is somewhere we need to go. 

_Somewhere they needed to go? Where in the world_ _did_ _she_ _need_ _to go after everything that happened?_

Unless... Was Adrien finally coming to his senses? Was he talking about going to Luka and Marinette? To confront them? Yes, that must be it. And in that case, Kagami was in. 

**Kagami:** Alright. 

**Kagami:** Where will I meet you? 

**Adrien:** Our apartment, of course! 

Adrien said “our” apartment. That meant Marinette and Luka probably hadn't moved in together already. 

**Kagami:** I'll be there. 

**Kagami:** Good night, Adrien. 

**Adrien:** Good night. 

The time was 12:35 am. Way past her usual bedtime. But she had already had a few hours of sleep, and did not need any more right now. Besides, there was a lot more to think about. She went to the kitchen to make herself some coffee to fuel her thoughts. A low rumble reminded her of something that had escaped her mind for some time. Rubbing her belly, she hoped she could find some snacks to fuel her stomach as well. 


	3. Chapter 3

Despite going to bed way late in the night, Kagami woke up on her usual time. She was tempted to skip the gym for the day, but she knew the physical exercise would help her clear her mind before the evening. And she needed to go to the fencing academy as well, she had not shown up the previous day without any notice. 

The evening arrived faster than she would have liked it to. As the hour neared with every passing second, her anxiety reached greater heights. Even now she could not help but question herself if she was ready to face the man who she had loved with all her life, who had lied to her with a smile on his face, who had betrayed her very trust. _Was she prepared to hear the answers from him?_

Since last night she had been preparing in her head what to say. How to start the conversation so that there was no way to wriggle out of it. She needed to put an end to this, to settle this once and for all. If for nothing else, at least for her own mind's peace. 

Kagami reached Adrien's apartment at 6:50 pm. As soon as she rang the bell, the door swung open and Adrien greeted her with a smile. Kagami hesitated before entering. She could not help but remember the last time she had come to this place. She breathed some determination into herself. There was a task at hand. 

“Come in here,” Adrien pulled her into a room that appeared to be Marinette's working space. 

“Are you sure I should be here?” 

“I would not have called you in otherwise!” 

Kagami looked around herself. The room was an organised mess. Absolutely _Marinette_. She walked over to the board set up on the wall, on which were pinned several unfinished sketches, quite possibly the ones she was working on currently. She noticed the little doodles and random words etched on the margins of the papers. Kagami smiled to herself, thinking of the eccentricities of the girl. But the smile disappeared in a moment, when she remembered what she had done to her. Her heart clenched painfully in her chest. 

“Here you go.” Adrien’s voice brought Kagami down to her immediate surroundings. 

She turned around to see him holding a dress in his arms. One of the most magnificent dresses she had ever set her eyes on. 

It was a mid-thigh length dress with a maroon satin base. The dress flared out at the waist, and a black mesh fell over the entire bottom part. Details were embroidered in gold over the mesh. The same gold circled the waist like an ornate belt. It had a halter neckline, and the collar was accentuated with a golden border. 

“Wow,” she breathed, “this is beautiful.” 

“I know, right?” Adrien exclaimed with glee. “Now put it on, I'm gonna go outside.” 

“Me?” Kagami was surprised. 

“Duh, yeah! This was made for you!” Adrien rolled his eyes, shoving the dress into her hands. “Be quick now, we have other work to do as well.” Saying so, he ran out of the room, gently shutting the door behind him. 

_How hard would it be for Adrien to be a little less vague?_ He was making it really difficult for her to feel sorry for him. 

_This was made for you,_ he had said. _Did he mean that literally or figuratively?_ Recent events must have addled her brain, she was looking too much into everything. 

Kagami turned the dress around in her arms. It was a breath-taking piece of work. She admiringly ran her hand over the embroidery, feeling every stitch underneath her fingers. 

It was then that she saw it. 

Just under the belt, on the back of the dress was a very familiar pattern sewn in with the same gold. She had seen it enough times to recognise it instantly. 

Marinette's signature. 

That only added to her confusion. _Marinette_ _had made a dress for her, without her knowledge?_ And that was the one she was going to wear today, of all days? 

She nervously moved near the door. Leaning against it, she called out “Adrien?” 

On receiving no reply, she opened the door. Adrien was sitting in the drawing-room, and while she had a clear view of him, he could not see her because his back was turned to her. It appeared that he was talking to someone on the phone. 

“Umm... Adrien?” She said a bit louder to get his attention. It worked. 

Adrien turned around in his seat. His face immediately fell. “Yeah, I will talk to you later,” he spoke into the phone before ending the call. 

“Is there a problem?” he spoke in a concerned voice, walking towards her. “Does it not fit you?” 

“No, that's not it,” Kagami hesitated. “Adrien, are you sure I should wear this?” 

A confused look came on his face, and then he burst out laughing. “Kagami,” he said, “will you stop worrying now? Just do as I say, okay? Trust me.” 

Kagami was getting concerned, but about something else. _Adrien still had the nerve to laugh? Was he losing his mind?_

Adrien pushed her back into the room. “Now please hurry up, alright? And um, maybe do something with your hair to go with the dress, okay?” 

It was all very strange but Kagami was left with no choice but to concede. Maybe this was Adrien's attempt at making her feel better about herself, of boosting her self-confidence. She stripped off the jeans and t-shirt and put on the dress. Standing in front of the mirror, she could not help but marvel at how good the dress looked on her. There was no doubt it was made for her; it was fitted to her measurements, complimenting her shape, skin tone and her eyes. Even though she and Marinette may not be on the best of terms right now, she had to praise her work. 

There were some hairbands and bobby pins and other accessories on the table, but Kagami was really not in a mood. So, she put her hair in a short braid that hung over her left shoulder. 

Kagami opened the door very silently. But she could not see Adrien anywhere. Panic began to bubble in the pit of her stomach, and she called out for him, “Adrien!” 

“Just a minute!” his voice came from the room to her left. Kagami breathed a sigh of relief. She took a seat on the couch as she waited for her friend. 

After a few moments, her ears caught the sound of a door opening behind her. She turned around just as Adrien was emerging from his room. 

Kagami saw that he was dressed up as well. He was wearing a light green formal shirt and tailored black trousers that made his legs look even longer than they originally were. He was also wearing a salmon pink tie. His hair was brushed back, and it made his cheekbones look very chiselled. 

“Oh my God, Kagami, you look... phenomenal.” Adrien's eyes were widened and his mouth was open. 

“Thank you,” she acknowledged the compliment with a slight nod. “You look good too.” 

“Thanks,” Adrien flashed her a grin. “Let's go then?” 

Kagami nodded. 

Adrien produced a pair of sandals for her that perfectly went with her dress. At this point, there were so many questions in her mind that she had lost the ability to even think for herself. So she just did whatever Adrien asked her to. It didn't look like she had a choice anyway. 

When she sat in the car, she finally relaxed. She knew what was going to happen now. No more surprises, right? 

Or so she thought. 

Adrien pulled up at the side of the Liberty. “Here?” Kagami asked, because she was expecting to go to Luka's apartment. Liberty had been empty since Anarka went on tour with Jagged more than three months ago. 

“Yeah,” Adrien said, typing away on his phone. “Do me a favour Gami, just go on. I'll catch up with you in a bit.” 

“I could wait for you?” Kagami suggested. 

“Uh, I think not,” came Adrien's response, which sounded a little weird. “Seriously Kagami, you know your way around. Go on now.” 

Unsure, Kagami got out of the car. Adrien was right, she did know her way around this place pretty well, having spent a lot of her late teenage years there. Luka used to help her sneak out behind her mother’s back, and most of the time they would just chill on the houseboat. Luka would play his songs on his guitar for her. She had had her first kiss with- 

_No. Snap out of it, Kagami._ This was not the time to think about all that stuff. 

Kagami stepped up on the deck. Strangely, most of the lights were out. She began to doubt if Adrien had brought them to the right place after all. 

Unconsciously, her steps had brought her to Luka's old room. Well, technically Luka and Juleka's old room. The room was dark, and presuming it to be empty, Kagami began to retrace her steps out of the room. 

Just then she stopped. Someone began to play a guitar inside the room. A nostalgic, romantic tune. She spun around on her heels just in time to see the room be lit up in fairy lights. 

And sitting on the bed, with a guitar slung over his shoulder, was Luka Couffaine. 

Kagami was stunned into silence. What exactly it was that rendered her speechless was uncertain. It could be seeing Luka appear out of the darkness, or the pretty way the lights lit up the deck, or how ethereally handsome Luka was looking in that purple shirt (and that maroon tie that was exactly the same shade as the dress she was wearing). But at that moment, she lost all ability to think, speak, or move by herself. So she stood there, staring at the man in front of her, forgetting what she had even come here for in the first place. 

“Hey,” Luka said nervously. Receiving no reply, he went on. “I am so sorry, my melody, for keeping you out of everything. I am really bad at hiding things, as you know. And since this isn't something I could have told you, I had to hide it from you. But turns out, I messed up big time, huh?” He let out a little laugh. Kagami was still frozen with the same expression on her face, so Luka decided to take the risk of walking a few steps towards her. “I really did not mean to make you feel left out of it. It's just, you know, I couldn't tell you. I know I did a bad job at it and you have every right to be pissed at me, but please talk to me, babe.” 

“Wha- what's going on?” she finally managed. 

Luka smiled, in that handsomely Luka way of his that made her melt into a puddle every time. It was only with a lot of conscious effort that she managed to hold her composure, although her cheeks felt like they were on fire. Thank goodness for the dim lights. 

“Kagami, I love you,” as he spoke he kept walking towards her, “I love you so much. My life has been infinitely better since you became a part of it. There is nothing I feel luckier about than you loving me. You make me feel whole. The last twenty-four hours have been such a torture for me. And I never ever want to spend another moment separated from you, as long as I live.” 

Saying so, he took a box out of his pocket and got down on one knee in front of her. He opened the box and held it up in front of her. It was a ring. “Kagami Tsurugi, my Dragon Queen, will you marry me?” 

Kagami's eyes widened. “Wait,” she said, “what is happening?” 

“I-uh, I am proposing to you?” 

“And can you please smile a bit Kagami? You're ruining the shot.” 

Kagami's head turned to the side to see who spoke. 

“Marinette?” 

“Yes, that's me. Now don't bother us,” she said as Adrien appeared behind her, “keep going.” 

Kagami looked back and forth between them. “This is so not what I was expecting.” She clapped her hand to her forehead. 

Luka stood up, concerned. “My melody, are you okay?” 

“This is what was going on these last few days?” Kagami whispered, almost on the verge of tears. 

“I guess I'm allowed to tell you now,” Luka rubbed the back of his neck, “Yeah, this is what I had been planning behind your back.” 

“And you,” she turned to look at Adrien and Marinette in the doorway, “You two were a part of this?” 

“Well yeah,” Adrien sounded just as nervous. 

“Please don’t murder us Kagami,” Marinette said. 

Kagami turned to look at Luka. “I am so sorry,” she muttered, before embracing him with all her strength. “I am so sorry for ever doubting you.” 

“My love,” Luka wrapped his free arm around her. 

After a while, she let go of him. “And I owe you an apology too, Marinette,” she turned to her, “Please forgive me.” 

“I have no idea what is happening, but I forgive you. Although I have no idea what I'm forgiving you for. Please don't tell me later that you made me forgive you for eating my chocolate croissants, because you know I would never forgive you if you did that,” she ended with a fake glare, making everyone burst into laughter. 

“By the way,” Luka said, with a smirk, “I didn't quite catch your reply back then?” 

It took Kagami a while before she got what he was talking about. And then her face broke into a radiant smile. She grabbed Luka's face and pulled him down to her level to rest her forehead against his. “Yes!” her voice was both emotional and excited, “Yes, yeah yes! Of course I will marry you, my snake prince!” 

“And now I got a perfect photo!” Marinette cheered on. 

Luka put the ring onto Kagami's finger. It was a gold ring; the top of the ring was in the shape of a dragon's head with a ruby set in the place of its eye. Kagami gasped, making Luka smile. He then lifted her chin slightly to kiss her. Kagami wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled against his lips. 

They broke off after a minute. “By the way, Marinette,” Kagami turned around in Luka's arms with a stern look on her face, “I am going to have a word with your boyfriend for confusing my brain all evening.” 

Adrien laughed nervously, but Marinette blushed red. “Actually,” she spoke in a little voice, “My fiance." 

“What!” Luka and Kagami exclaimed at the same time. 

Marinette held up her hand to show them the sapphire ring that sat on her finger. 

“When did this happen?” It was Luka who asked. 

“This morning,” Marinette replied, “Right after I woke up.” 

“Way to go, Adrien!” 

“What?” Adrien raised an eyebrow, “You guys really thought I was going to let Luka beat me at this?” 

Marinette playfully smacked him in his chest. 

Kagami noticed that the shade of Adrien’s tie matched the colour of the dress Marinette was wearing, just like her and Luka. Oh. So this was the entire fuss about the dress. 

“Let's take a group selfie?” she suggested. 

“Hell yeah!” 


End file.
